Marlene Osteen
This summer we talked about chilled reds for hot days, so it seems only fair to flip the script now that October’s here. The leaves are falling, the air has a bite, and the calendar’s packed with Oktoberfest revelry and Halloween chills.
Most people reach for reds, but this month I’m here to haunt your cellar with whites that prove a chilled bottle can be cozy – and a lot more fun – when the nights turn dark.
First up: Assyrtiko, Greece’s volcanic phantom. The Domaine Sigalas Santorini is sharp as a silver dagger – bracing citrus, salty minerality, and a spine of stone. It cuts clean through roasted root vegetables, grilled trout, or creamy mushroom pasta. Think of it as the ghost at the table: pale, shimmering, unforgettable.
Then there’s Chenin Blanc, the Loire Valley trickster. One sip of the Domaine Huet “Le Haut-Lieu” Sec is like biting into a caramel apple, only to find a flicker of honey and waxy silk behind the fruit. This shape-shifter of a wine can play sweet or dry, bright or lush. It’s a bewitching match for pork chops with apples—or as a foil for the Halloween candy you swore you wouldn’t touch.
For something with a little more flesh and bone, summon a white Rhône blend. The E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Blanc mixes Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier into a potion of stone fruit, spice, and nutty richness. It’s tailor-made for Oktoberfest feasts: bratwurst, sauerkraut, pretzels, or creamy butternut squash soup. One glass and you’ll believe in white magic.
Chardonnay? Don’t be scared – it’s not the butter-bomb monster under the bed anymore.
The 2021 Ramey Russian River Chardonnay is golden apple, brioche, and toasted hazelnut wrapped in velvet. It’s the wine equivalent of a warm cloak on a cold night – perfect with roasted salmon, lobster mac, or a trial run of Thanksgiving turkey.
And finally, Grüner Veltliner, Austria’s sharp-toothed charmer. The 2021 Nigl Freiheit Grüner Veltliner from Kremstal is widely available and hits the bullseye: zesty lime, crisp green apple, and that signature white pepper bite – like the snap of a jack-o’-lantern grin. Pair it with sausages, kraut, or roasted Brussels sprouts, and it’ll dance through your Oktoberfest spread like a mischievous poltergeist.
So this October, don’t fear the white. Chill it, pour it, and let these bottles put a spell on you. To track them down – or conjure up even more wickedly good options – seek out Owner and Sommelier Stephanie Miskew at Highlands Wine Shoppe, where the cellar is a cauldron of delights and every bottle holds a little magic.
Favorites Count: 0